


Invoke Me Under My Stars

by jellyfishsodapop



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Creepy Doll, Edwardian AU, M/M, Minor Character Death, Temporary Character Death, esoteric magical rituals involving body parts, huxloween 2018, prompt: resurrection, prompt: trapped souls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-10 00:46:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16460243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jellyfishsodapop/pseuds/jellyfishsodapop
Summary: This is my humble offering for Huxloween 2018, filling the 'trapped souls' and the 'resurrection' prompts.Taking place in turn of the century London, Kylo becomes obsessed with a masterpiece doll he sees in a shop window during a late night walk home. The history of the doll is a sad one, but there's more to the beautiful porcelain face than appears, especially when he learns for how it came into being. As a scholar of both science and the newest Hermetic spiritualism, Kylo and his Knights undertake a task to re-animate the soul trapped in the doll.





	Invoke Me Under My Stars

It was the eyes that caught his attention first. Misty grey-green like the first sight he had of the shore of this far away land from the deck of the ship, but instead of being shrouded in fog, they glittered like precious gems. Even as he passed the shop on the high street in the dead of night with only the pallid yellow glare of the sodium lights to guide his way, exhausted from his studies and near collapse, the eyes shone like luminous beacons, almost as if they were watching him. While he had taken to striking out on new routes to get to the university in order to familiarise himself with his new home and the area in general, he would make it a point to take that singular street home in order to pass the doll shop that held this charming porcelain verisimilitude. 

It was on one particular night that he chose to pause there, to gaze into the window at the doll that was so carefully situated in a tiny chair made just for it. Clearly the craftsman was a master of his art, the finely wrought face holding an expression that was almost wistful, a yearning that belied the inanimate nature of the creation. Only after coming right up to the window and studying the doll did he realise it was a boy, most of the other dolls being girls or babies or animals. Even in the dark he could see the fire of red hair under a dainty black cap, the severe black suit just as expertly tailored as the frills and lace that adorned the other dolls. 

"You're a fine fellow, aren't you?" He grinned at the doll and in a fit of whimsy, tipped his top hat. The next day, he would attribute it to being overtaxed and weary from his studies, but in that moment, those shimmery mist coloured eyes flicked ever so minutely and Kylo Ren felt as if his very soul had been seen by something that wasn't as innocuous as it seemed to be. 

In his haste to seek the safety of his home, he almost collided with a late night carriage rounding the corner, not having heard its progress on the cobblestones. He shouted his apologies to the coachman who swore after him, his heart pounding as loudly as his feet.

 

Morning saw Kylo cross and and obstinate, a sleepless night and when he did finally succumb, his dreams were haunted by pale jade eyes and slender white hands tugging at him. 

"Sir, please. You'll be late for your classes." Mitaka's voice only added to Kylo's indisposition, making him growl at their butler as he flung the sheets off. The audible gasp coming from the easily startled man made Kylo look down, realising he was still in his smallclothes, not having bothered to change into pyjamas before toppling into bed.

"Oh, stop being so stodgy. I'm tired of old fashioned morals and false modesty. It's not like I'm naked." Mitaka's blush indicated that he might as well be, the breakfast service rattling slightly on the tray that he held. "Besides, it doesn't matter if I'm late or not. I can always make up a test later on. I could even just tell the professor what I would like my grade to be recorded as whether I take the test or not." Such was the luxury of being royal blood, even if they were from another country.

Mitaka sighed as he put the tray down over Kylo's lap, fluffing the pillows behind him as he sat up. "You know you're held to a higher standard and being a good influence as well as a proper role model is important for a man of your station."

"Bollocks to that, Dopheld. Bollocks." The put-upon butler sighed again and poured Kylo's tea before leaving with a curt nod.

 

Taking a more direct route would ensure Kylo's timeliness, but that didn't take into account the fact he would be passing by the doll shop with the very keen intent of stopping in, which he did so without a second thought. The ornate wooden door frame was the height of design for the time, swooping curves and organic lines bracketing the eclectic, gilded script that read 'Brendol Hux, Doll Maker'. 

As Kylo opened the door, he was immediately overwhelmed by the smell of resinous wood and sharp varnish, the earthy scent of raw porcelain clay, the redolence of various pigments, the trace of pine smoke from a kiln. Around him was displayed the fruits of the craft, dolls of all shapes and sizes on shelves, in cases, hung on delicate wires, perched on stands. There was a dizzying quality to so much effort put into the frivolity of childish playthings, but this man truly elevated it to an art form.

"Hello? Is anyone in?" Kylo was met with silence even though the hours posted indicated the shop was open for business. Deciding to look around for a bit, Kylo was inevitably drawn to the window he had only seen from the outside, the crisp black suit and the copper-red hair catching his eye. Without the pane of glass in the way, he could see so much more detail, how well made the suit was, the gleam of highly polished leather of his boots, the delicate little gloves that indicated each finger was separate and articulated. there next to the chair was a sign Kylo hadn't noticed before and he picked it up, assuming there would be a price on it like all the others, but instead it only had a single word on it, a name: Armitage.

"Sorry for the delay, sir! I was retrieving some sculpts from the kiln and couldn't step away. What can I do for you today?" The man was cheerful and had a gleam of strawberry blond in his greying hair and beard, a kind face that looked prone to laughter regularly. His apron was dotted with paint smudges and the tools of his trade lined the row of pockets.

"That's quite alright, Mr Hux. I can see you take great pride in your work and I am quite interested in making a purchase today. The doll in the window, Armitage, I believe you named him?" The words startled him, coming out of his mouth before they could filter through his brain first. Kylo Ren, the son of Princess Leia Organa, scholar of the fine arts and sciences, a Philosophus of the esoteric occult and Hermetic teachings, buying of all things a doll? Preposterous. And yet here he was, doing just that.

Or so he thought.

Mr Hux's face fell immediately, a deep, wistful sadness crossing his features before they were schooled into something more harsh, a defense shuttering away his smile and turning his mouth into a thin line, his eyes a wall of cold steel. "I'm sorry, he's not for sale."

The words felt final, no negotiation permitted from that tone, but Kylo was used to getting his way, if not by asking, then by using his name's fortune to buy it. "Surely we can come to an agreement. My cousin Rey has a birthday coming up and she would be delighted to have a doll so beautifully made. I have considerable wealth at my disposal and I'm willing to- "

"No. He is not and never will be for sale." There was a sharp quality growing in Mr Hux's tone, the precursor to anger and then a sudden shift to calmness, an internal chokehold on his emotions which were evident in his regard to this singular doll. "Perhaps I can interest you in a newer model? Boudoir dolls are all the rage in Paris. Maybe even a custom made doll for your cousin since it is a special occasion."

Taken aback by the intensity of the man's displeasure only to have it vanish and replaced with a strained gentility, Kylo knew when he was up against an immovable object. "Of course, I understand. He is a magnificent masterpiece and I can see why you'd want to keep him. Perhaps I could ask to see him up close to admire the craftsmanship? I've never seen a doll so life-like before and I wish to admire your skill." It wasn't beyond Kylo to appease a person's ego to sway them in his favour and it was indeed a gift he had.

There was hesitation there, Mr Hux's hands clenching and unclenching at his sides, his brows creasing slightly. 

"I promise to be quite careful. I've grown up surrounded by precious things and I've leaned how to be respectful of them." He also knew when to destroy them, fits of rage overtaking his senses and sending the servants scarpering. This doll though, he deserved the gentlest hands, the most careful consideration.

This seemed to appease Mr Hux and with a short nod, he walked over to the window and leaned into the display. From where Kylo stood, he could almost hear the doll maker whispering, speaking tenderly to the doll as he lifted him from his dainty chair. When he turned, the doll was cradled against his chest as if it were a real child, the look on his face all at once fond and sad and proud. 

"Please, have a seat." Mr Hux indicated an ice blue velvet upholstered loveseat that shared the same sinuous, organic lines carved into the wooden frame that the shop front had. It faced a low table, meant possibly for appointments to discuss his client's wishes. Kylo sat down and removed his hat and gloves, laying them neatly on the cushion next to him.

"Be gentle with him, he's all I have left." The words struck Kylo as quite odd, surrounded by so much as they were. When he looked up, there was emotion so open and vulnerable on the man's face as to surprise him. Before he could react, Mr Hux leaned down and perched the doll on the table so that he sat upright, facing Kylo. Sharp eyes the same colour as the doll's fixed Kylo with a long, appraising look, the glisten of unshed tears there and then he turned abruptly.

"Mr Hux, I- " 

"I have to attend to my work for a moment, please excuse me. I trust you with my Armitage."

And with that, he disappeared through the doorway to the back of the shop, leaving Kylo perplexed. The sensation didn't last for long as he was now faced with the most beautiful doll he'd ever seen, right up close. The palest porcelain held a soft pink blush on high cheekbones, across a finely sculpted nose, eyes that seemed to have a fire inside the faceted misty green glass, lips the colour of late summer roses faded by the sun, curved into the barest hint of a smile, hair the shade of autumn fires and fierce sunsets. 

Removing the jaunty little hat, Kylo ran his fingertips over hair that was soft enough to be real, marvelling at the patience it took to root the strands. The hands took his fascination next, removing a glove made of black doe skin and seeing each finger jointed and strung, able to be posed as one wished. The pad of his thumb fit perfectly in the small palm and he rubbed it gently only to flinch back in astonishment as he felt the most delicate pressure of the fingers closing around it.

"What are you?" Kylo's voice was a whisper, his heart hammering against his ribcage, eyes wide and flicking towards the doorway and then back to the doll. It took a moment to come back to his senses, wondering if maybe the madness that had gripped him the night before had returned, some harbinger of an oncoming illness. He felt fine otherwise and simply chalked it up to the haunting realism, laughing quietly at himself.

"Sweet, little Armitage. You are so beautifully made that you've enchanted me." More careful inspection had Kylo running his fingertips down the wool satin riding suit, black as night and fastened with tiny silver buttons, trousers that puffed out slightly at the thigh and buttoned tight at the calves to fit into high polished leather boots. Everything was made with such care that Kylo didn't mind a whit that he would be buying Armitage for himself, more than impressed enough to tell the virtues of a man so capable and with such talent. "I would make you mine if I could."

Just as he was placing the glove back on the delicate hand, the owner emerged again, a pleasant smile on his face as he approached Kylo. Rising from the loveseat, Kylo lifted the doll as carefully as he had seen Mr Hux do so, handing him over as gently as if he was handling a real child. "Your Armitage is quite possibly the most exquisite doll I've ever seen, and while you are not willing to part with him, I am interested in employing your services to create something for my cousin. If you are of course amenable to such an arrangement, Mr Hux."

"Do call me Brendol, and I would be honoured to discuss your patronage, Mr...?" He stepped closer to take the doll, holding it close to his chest in one arm as he extended his hand.

"Organa. Kylo Ren Organa." Kylo shook Brendol's hand, watching the owner's bushy eyebrows lift in realisation of who he was talking to.

"One moment then, let me gather my books." Kylo watched Brendol return the doll to his seat, again whispering affectionately to him as he fussed with his hat.

It was after noon when Kylo finally left the shop, any chance of heading to university dashed as his day had already taken an alternate path. Instead he would dedicate the rest of it to the library, studying his own interests despite them being considered antiquated and fantastical, flights of fancy from a darker time where magic and alchemy was the height of knowledge. If only people would consider the possibilities that some of the elements were not as far-fetched as modern science made them out to be. Perhaps the combination of old and new would launch the entire species into the dawn of enlightenment that of which the world had never seen before. 

Kylo sighed, hands stuffed in his the pockets of his coat to ward against the oncoming autumn chill as he walked up the high street towards the library. He could still feel the phantom grip of a tiny hand around his thumb, still saw the flash of light in seafoam green eyes, wondering exactly what little Armitage was all about.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I've written anything solo, and while I do know that my previous WIP is languishing, please be gentle with me. I'm getting back on that wagon with lots of pit stops in between, so it might take a while to finish, but finish I will. Also I'm crap with tags so if there's something that needs to be tagged, please let me know.
> 
> Shout outs to the patient and kind [thecopperriver](http://thecopperriver.tumblr.com/) for looking this over for glaring errors and to my charming co-author and purveyour of butts [oorsprong](https://gentleman-caller.tumblr.com/) for being the faith that I lack. Thank you both for enabling me. <3 Also many thanks to [thesociallyanxioussociopath](https://thesociallyanxioussociopath.tumblr.com/) whose [absolutely beautiful artwork](https://thesociallyanxioussociopath.tumblr.com/post/151365946146/huxloween-day-4-dolls-ok-this-is-far-less) inspired this fic in the first place.
> 
>  
> 
> [tumblr](https://huxibitionism.tumblr.com/)  
> [pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/huxibitionism)


End file.
